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"My face is numb, should I go back to he hospital?"

Question

I went to the hospital a few days ago and was told I had a sinus infection and that's why I couldn't feel my face. But my sinus infection is certainly gone and I still can't feel my face. What is going on? Its just the left side and mostly the high cheek area. Also my face is drooping a little and when I talk then left side me my mouth doesn't move. I can still move it though. Also the left side of my tongue is swollen. Should I go back to the hospital?

Answer

That is an excellent question and one that is best answered by an emergency care doctor or another physician who can evaluate your new onset of facial weakness and numbness. The biggest concern from the limited history you are providing is that you may have had a mini-stroke as some of the symptoms you are describing could be related to that. The fact that is it only on one side and that there is numbness and weakness is certainly concerning for a stroke in that area of the brain. It is not clear what your age is or what other comorbidities you have and so it is hard to know whether you are a high risk patient for having a stroke or whether there is something else related to this weakness. There are several areas within the brain that can be affected and give similar symptoms to the ones you describe. If these symptoms came on suddenly, then the possibility of stroke or other vascular issue is likely whereas if this has been going on for a long time and slowly progressing, it is possible that this is a tumor or other slowly growing process that is causing these symptoms. Only your doctor can check you out and decide upon the right workup and treatment options.

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Zocdoc Answers is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor (in the United States) 911 immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Medical professionals who provide responses to health-related questions are intended third party beneficiaries with certain rights under Zocdoc’s Terms of Service.